Neurodiversity Celebration Week is dedicated to transforming the way neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported, while creating a more inclusive environment to celebrate differences and empower every individual. Neurodiversity looks different across emergency management, preparedness and implementation and we sat down to learn from individuals across NEMA and industry experts to learn more about their unique experiences.

Neurodiversity in emergency management training

For Ben, having dyslexia, a learning difference that makes reading difficult, is just an extra step in his work in emergency management.

As a member of the Training and Strategy team in NEMA’s Emergency Management and Response group, Ben balances their dyslexia through a combination of adaptability, self-awareness and using available resources. Some programs, like speech-to-text software and colour-coded organisational systems, also assist Ben in their day-to-day work and help them make significant contributions to tactical thinking in their team.

“I seek support from colleagues and supervisors, as well as participating in training programs tailored to accommodate diverse learning styles.”

Managing stress levels and prioritising tasks helps Ben enhance their productivity and resilience in the demanding environment of emergency management.

“My dyslexia empowers me to ensure I say the correct things to those impacted and when I train staff at NEMA. My dyslexia only holds me back when I let it, and I am not letting that happen,” they said.
 

Harnessing neurodiversity to solve complex issues in emergency management

Corey believes that neurodiversity brings a wealth of different perspectives to solving complex issues in emergency management, including in NEMA’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Group where he works.

“My experience with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has taught me the importance of flexibility, adaptability and rapid response to changing situations (while) being able to utilise my ability to hyper focus on critical tasks when necessary.”

Corey’s experience with living with inattentive-type ADHD has presented him with challenges like working in environments that prioritise sustained attention and unique strengths such as bringing creativity, lateral thinking and a distinctive approach to problem-solving.

“In my career, I’ve found that leveraging tools, modern treatment options and strategies to manage my ADHD symptoms has not only improved my personal efficiency but has also significantly contributed to my team’s success,” he said.

Sharing his experience has allowed Corey to advocate for greater understanding of neurodiversity at work and in his personal life. He encourages everyone to reach out and learn about how neurological differences can benefit the workplace.

Helping children with additional needs during an emergency

The Children with Additional Needs Working Group in East Gippsland are passionate about ensuring inclusivity in the East Gippsland community.

Jodie, a Facilitator and Project Management Consultant and member of the working group, spoke about the importance of considering the unique needs of neurodiversity in emergency management, focusing on disaster preparedness.

The Black Summer Bushfires were an opportunity to hear more from our families, carers and children about the impacts of natural hazards on them and what we can do to accommodate their needs”, said Jodie.

The feedback has led to a close working relationship with East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) resulting in developing Sensory Kits in Places of Last Resorts provided to eight relief centres, continuing conversations about making alternative accommodation available for families who need to evacuate and reducing anxiety around planned burnings by creating social stories.

In an important recognition of this work, EGSC now offers training on how to set up and use the sensory kits. “We are really proud of the work we have done to help raise the profile of kids and their needs across East Gippsland,” said Jodie.
 

Embracing neurodiversity at NEMA

At NEMA we are committed to providing a working environment that values diversity and inclusion and supports staff to reach their full potential.

Learn more about working at NEMA and discover current opportunities on our Careers page.

The severe weather and floods in February and June 2022 have caused significant damage to Aboriginal-owned social and cultural assets in communities across New South Wales. These assets include parks, playgrounds, walkways and places of cultural heritage, all of which contribute to a community’s sense of belonging and identity. To support affected communities, the Australian and New South Wales Governments are funding projects that will restore and build flood resilient Aboriginal-owned assets.

Funding flood resilient aboriginal-owned assets in New South Wales

The 2022 floods in New South Wales compounded the impacts of 2019-20 bushfires and the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Showcasing that role of social, cultural and recreational infrastructure is more crucial than ever to bring people in aboriginal communities together.

The Australian and New South Wales Governments are investing $46.3 million in 27 projects to support the repair, restore and betterment of Aboriginal-owned community and cultural assets directly damaged by floods in the most impacted Local Government Areas across NSW.

Funding through the Aboriginal-owned Assets Program will enable Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs), Aboriginal Corporations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations to undertake flood recovery works through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Projects building flood resilient Aboriginal-owned assets

Projects include the restoration of Aboriginal-owned assets, such as community centres and service buildings, playgrounds and recreation areas, and the rebuilding of access roads and walkways to areas of cultural significance directly damaged by floods.: 

Three upcoming projects include:

• More than $6.9 million will fund Rekindling the Spirit projects in Lismore Local Government Area (LGA). These projects will support the restoration of damaged facilities, which provide critical social support, health support and counselling services. These projects will deliver new facilities at the existing Lismore site and repair and provide additional infrastructure to an existing facility which was destroyed in the floods, allowing services to return to full capacity. 
• More than $1.7 million to Tweed Byron LALC to restore the flood damaged “Walk on Water Track” in Tweed Shire LGA, providing access to cultural sites where schools and community groups often attend education activities. 
• Almost $1.3 million to Tricketts Arch Aboriginal Corporation will reinstate safe vehicle access to the significant cultural site, Tricketts Arch, in Oberon LGA, which includes a riverbank area, camping sites, a yarning circle and activity areas. Tricketts are committed to protecting the biodiversity of the land as well as its cultural and geodiversity. 

The flood resilient Aboriginal-owned assets will be rebuilt to withstand future natural hazards, as well as improve accessibility and inclusion for community members. 

“By improving the resilience of these assets, we can reduce the hardship experienced by Aboriginal communities during and after a disaster event, as well as decrease the cost of recovery in the future,” said Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt.

“When completed, these restored and improved Aboriginal owned and managed assets will bring people together to fulfil cultural obligations, support self-determination, improve social connections and restore places of importance to the community.”

The Australian and NSW Governments are continuing to help the long-term recovery of disaster-impacted Aboriginal communities and assisting them towards greater flood resilience, while also delivering positive economic and social outcomes.

For more information on building flood resilient Aboriginal-owned assets in New South Wales, including the full list of successful projects, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/aboriginalownedassetsprogram.

The impact of bushfires can be devastating for families and individuals, particularly when it comes to damage or loss of their homes. The free Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app, funded by the Australian Government, helps households assess their site-specific risk and take action to improve their resilience to bushfire.

App improving bushfire resilience of Australian households

An average of 1,000 Australians have downloaded the Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app each week since it was launched in October 2023. To date, that’s over 18,000 households from 274 bushfire prone local government areas across the nation.

In addition to providing information that supports households to increase the bushfire resilience of their homes, the app also helps put downward pressure on insurance premiums and mortgage interest rates.

NAB is the first bank to come on board with an interest rate incentive for households participating in the Bushfire Resilience Rating home retrofit progams with the Resilient Building Council (RBC).

Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app making properties safer

Decades of science are utilised in the Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app, allowing householders to assess how well their home would perform in a bushfire event. The app provides a free customised action plan, specific to individual properties and local risk. As tasks are completed, the home’s Resilience Rating is updated – allowing people to immediately see the positive impact on their Rating.

Community members who’ve used the app are already seeing the benefits:

“The Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app is an excellent tool to start the process to make our properties safer and encourage property owners to be proactive and realistic. It helps to keep our properties maintained and ready for disasters,” says app user Alexandra Smidt.

“Our personal experience from protecting our property from two major fires during Sampson Flat and Ash Wednesday, is that landscaping and building maintenance helped us in protecting and ultimately saving our property. The app report has helped us identify things we hadn’t yet considered,” says the Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app user Alan Williams.

“The Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment app is quite fantastic. The report helped us identify some shrubs close to the windows and a wooden attached structure that were a serious threat. We’re feeling better now we know what to do to improve our resilience, and we started taking action the same day,” says app user Dominic Hyde.
 

Households wishing to participate in RBC’s home retrofit program and access the NAB discount can find out more here. 

International Women's Day (IWD) is dedicated to recognising the achievements and contributions of women worldwide.

From women in emergency management to hazards insurance, employee wellbeing, and disaster preparedness, we sat down with six remarkable women employees at NEMA to hear their thoughts on this year’s theme, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’.

How women in emergency management are helping address women’s unique needs

Poornima from our National Coordination Mechanism Operations team understands the importance of investing in women to accelerate progress in emergency management.

She believes that women in emergency management bring different perspectives, skills, and experiences, and their representation is crucial in addressing women's diverse needs in emergency situations.

Poornima also advocates for gender diversity to promote inclusivity and collaboration. 

‘Women, including pregnant women, those with children and elderly women, have diverse needs in an emergency. Having women represented in an emergency management agency is critical so that all these unique needs are considered and addressed when planning,’ says Poornima. She believes that investing in women should start at the grass roots level and supportive work environments play an important role.

Christine from our Coordination and Planning Branch sees the value of recognising women's roles in emergency management, particularly in the response and recovery areas. 

She acknowledges the specific needs of women and families in disasters and the need to focus on women's involvement in emergency management careers and volunteer capacities. 

‘This year's IWD theme, ‘Invest in women’, means to me that we recognise women of all ages and demographics across the emergency management field,’ shares Christine.

She also recognises the role of women in recovery efforts, caring for their families, and providing compassion to others during disasters. 

‘When I've been in recovery centres, we see that women are the ones championing the recovery process, and that they are the ones front and centre when people are having one of the worst days of their lives,’ says Christine.

Representing women in the insurance sector 

Shakya from the Insurance Policy team speaks about the significance of investing in women in emergency management and advocating for women's rights from the perspective of insurance affordability and disaster recovery.  

She emphasises the need for women to advocate for themselves and their ideas, highlighting how single women and single mothers can be disproportionately impacted by insurance processes. 

Shakya notes the progress made in female representation in the insurance sector but says there is a need for ongoing improvement. 

‘It's not just about having women in the room, in the big meetings, in the executive. Although that is important, it also means actually listening to them, when they are in the room, taking their advice, and treating them the same as everyone else,’ says Shakya. 
 
She also encourages women to pursue job opportunities without underestimating themselves, highlighting the importance of believing in their own abilities. 

Accelerating the role of women in emergency management

In her reflection on the International Women's Day 2024 theme, Annie from our Program Design team talked about women's vital role in emergency management, noting their different perspectives and skills. 

In her line of work, Annie sees a need for inclusive policies and programs in disaster preparedness, that consider women's unique needs and challenges.

‘To me this year’s theme is about showing women they are valued, and taking their contribution to disaster preparedness and risk reduction seriously. It’s about making sure that NEMA’s programs and policies consider women and girls.’ 

She also stresses the value of seeing men and women as equals in accelerating the role of women in emergency management.

Investing in women in the workplace

Natasha from our Conditions and Wellbeing team believes women's contributions are essential for the effective functioning of organisations.

She values the representation of women in leadership roles and advises women, especially in male-dominated fields, to advocate for themselves. 

‘To me, investing in women means recognising the skills, knowledge and experience that women bring to the workforce. One thing I would say to women is, don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and ensure that your needs are met personally and professionally in everything that you do.’

Natasha also praises the presence of many talented women at NEMA. She appreciates the significant number of women in leadership roles at NEMA, highlighting the representation and qualifications of women leading in the Australian Public Service. 

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Cindy, our Chief Finance Officer, reflected on the status of women in the workforce, noting that while women make up half of the population, their representation in the workforce is still low. 

She emphasised the positive impacts of having women in the workforce.   
‘I think International Women's Day is a critical time to reflect on how far we've come. There are so many positive outcomes of having women in the workplace in terms of the way they work with people, the way they lead teams, as well as their different perspectives and points of view,’ says Cindy. 
 
Cindy underscored the significance of women's representation at NEMA in supporting Australian communities and dealing with disasters, highlighting their unique perspectives and experiences, nurturing elements and ability to connect with communities. 

Working at NEMA

At NEMA, we believe our people's dedication and passion are the driving forces behind our success. 

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace that empowers individuals to perform at their best. 

The work of our people has a real impact on the lives of Australians, and we take pride in that responsibility. 

If you share our values and are interested in joining team NEMA, explore our Careers page to learn more and discover current opportunities.